Monserrat (Historic Centre)

NH Buenos Aires City

★★★★★

NH Buenos Aires City is one of the best-placed mid-range hotels for sightseeing in the historic centre. It occupies a handsome Art Deco building from the 1930s on Calle Bolívar in Monserrat, the oldest part of the city, a block from the Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada, the Cabildo and the Metropolitan Cathedral, and a short walk from the cobbled streets of San Telmo to the south. With just over three hundred rooms, it is a substantial hotel run by the Spanish NH group, now part of Minor Hotels, and it combines the polish of a chain with the character of its period building, from the façade to the classic interiors. Rooms are comfortable and functional, decorated in a contemporary style with good beds, and higher floors have views over the rooftops of the old city. The standout feature is the roof terrace, with a swimming pool and sun deck open in the summer season and wide views across the historic centre, an unusual luxury in this dense neighbourhood. The hotel also has a large gym, free for guests, a lobby bar, and the NH City and Tower restaurant, which serves Argentine favourites in a classic setting, along with a breakfast buffet. Wi-Fi is free, the hotel is entirely non-smoking, small dogs are accepted for a fee, and one room is adapted for guests with reduced mobility. For travellers who want to walk to the main monuments, the Sunday San Telmo fair and Avenida de Mayo, with the Subte lines A, D and E close by for the rest of the city, the location is hard to beat at this price level.

Who it suits: first-time visitors who want the historic sights on foot, families who need a reliable chain standard, and business travellers working in the centre. The rooftop pool is a genuine bonus in summer. The trade-off is the neighbourhood after dark: Monserrat is a government and office district that empties in the evening, so take a taxi or app ride back late at night, and head to San Telmo or Puerto Madero for dinner. Palermo and Recoleta are twenty to thirty minutes away by taxi or Subte.

Living in it: ask for a high-floor room for views and less street noise, and spend at least one summer afternoon by the rooftop pool. Walk south along Calle Defensa to San Telmo on Sunday morning for the fair, and east to Puerto Madero for a sunset drink by the docks. The Plaza de Mayo is at its most interesting on weekday mornings, and the Casa Rosada weekend tours are a short walk away. Members of the brand's loyalty scheme who book direct can get late check-out at weekends.

Value: rates are mid-range for Buenos Aires and often very competitive given the location and facilities. Parking is off-site, so arrive by taxi. Foreign guests paying with a foreign card are generally exempt from VAT on accommodation, so check how the rate is quoted.